The Tanelkums all give the son of Shafou a good character.  We parted with them this morning.  They take some loads of dates for us, and have gone to Aroukeen, where they will wait for us six days, and then leave us; that is, if we do not come up.  They will be twelve days, they say, on their journey.  We go by a different route to Ghat, and shall see but not enter Serdalous.  This place is now thickly inhabited by Tuaricks, and Hateetah does not wish to come in contact with them, for fear of exciting their curiosity and cupidity.  So he is a knowing old dog after all.  Our Tuaricks are displeased that the Germans have encamped so far from us this evening.  The ground is a narrow slip of wady stretching east and west, almost on a level with the plateau.  There is a little hasheesh (grass), with two or three young tholukh-trees.  Venus shone with uncommon splendour this evening, eclipsing all the majesty of Jupiter.  We are looking out for the Southern Cross, and think we see it just emerging above the horizon ahead.  In the day, the heavens have of late been hazy.

They tell us, that on leaving Ghat we shall descend to Soudan; yet we can not have reached very high ground.  We may soon likewise expect to feel the influence of the Soudan rains, and find the atmosphere much cooler in consequence.  How the days are shortening now, and how grateful darkness gradually expands its dominions over this arid, scorching waste, as we move south!

On Friday the 5th we only advanced two hours, to a place called Talazaghee,—­a small picturesque wady, where, during the season of rain, there are always two or three pools of good water; there is also now a little herbage for the camels.  During our ride we met a small slave caravan, and learned the important intelligence that there are several people of the Sultan En-Noor of Aheer at present at Ghat with slaves.  This will be useful to us.  I wrote to my wife and others by this opportunity, and trust the missives will reach their destination.  The weather is cool and pleasant to-day; and we are led to hope that the great heat of summer is already past.  The wind followed exactly behind us as we pursued our south-west course.  On arriving we found, rather to our surprise, the pilgrim caravan, and our old friend Abd-el-Kader.  They have been some time reposing in Wady Gharby collecting provisions, and, I imagine, passing their leisure hours with the Fezzanee ladies, which they could not very well do in Mourzuk.  The morality of these people is easy enough, and no doubt the pilgrimage covers a multitude of sins.

Talazaghee is remarkable for some bas-reliefs cut on the naked sandstone rocks of the wady, in a very peculiar style; the principal tableau, if I may so call it, about four feet by three in size, is a battle between two persons, one having a bird’s head, and the other a bullock’s, with a bullock between them taking part in the fray.  Each person is holding a shield or bow.  The sculptures are mere outline,